Convertible top for vehicle bodies



Feb. 28, 19 50 I T.YVIGMOSTAD 8,

CONVERTIBLE TOP FOR VEHICLE BODIES 1 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, i947 Feb. 28, 1950 I '1', VIGMOSTAD 2,498,868

CONVERTIBLE TOP FOR VEHICLE BODIES Filed July 2, 1947' 3 She et SSheet 2 T. VIGMOSTAD CONVERTIBLE TOP FOR VEHICLE BODIES Feb. 28, 1950 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 2, 1947 IN V EN TOR. 7755/6 kig/rrajfadf E F ZFA EK Patented Feb. 28, 1950 s PATENT OFFICE CONVERTIBLE TOP FOR VEHICLE BODIES Trygve Vigmostad, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Briggs Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application July 2, 1947, Serial No.'758,581

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to vehicle bodies and more particularly to automobile bodies of the socalled convertible type having foldable or collapsible tops.

An object of the invention is to improve the construction of the foldable or collapsible tops of automobile bodies or the like so as to provide a top assembly which is more efficient and reliable in operation while having the requisite strength when in open position and adapted;to be folded into the body as a compact unit occupying a minimum of space.

' .ically opened or closed by means of power mechanism. One of these difliculties or disadvantages has been due to the fact that, when the top is unfolded or opened; the front transverse header of the top does not always travel to its final position in engagement with the fixed windshield header but instead comes to rest in a position spaced varying distances above the upper edge of the windshield header. When this occurs it is frequently difiicult or impossible to lock the front end of the top to the windshield header without manual manipulation of the top so as to .bringit down into engagement with the header. This disadvantage in operation is annoying since it often necessitates the car occupant getting out of the car and forcing the top down against the windshield header from outside the car and thereafter entering the car in order to lock the top in position. I

One of the important objects of the present invention is to overcome the foregoing difliculties or disadvantages and to construct the foldable top in such improved manner as to ensure full opening of theftop.

sun another object of the invention is to provide in an automobile body a collapsibleorwf'oldable top having improved: link, lever and side rail mechanism so constructed. and arranged as to function efficiently and positively between the full open and closed'limits of mov'en'rnant 0f" the top, and i1; addition t provide 'impifflvfidfppwer actuated me'ansror operating mechanism.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly broken away and in section, illustrating a collapsible or foldable top for a vehicle body constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view generally similar to Fig-1 but illustrating the top in a partially folded condition.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation, partly in section and partly broken away, illustrating the top in its folded or collapsed position within a compartment at the rear of the vehicle, a portion of the top when opened being shown in broken lines.

example, a collapsible or foldable top constructed .in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention as applied to a convertible body of It will be understood, howthe two door type. ever, that the invention may be utilized in connection with other types of vehicles .or auto- 'mobile bodies, such as convertible bodies of the four door type. The body A is provided with a door ill at each side, a windshield I I, and a collapsible or foldable top B adapted to be folded into a compartment or space l2 located between the rear seat of the body and the rear deck compartment, as illustrated in Fig. 3. a

The windshield l l terminates at its upper edge .in a rigid transverse header [3, and the collapsible top B terminates at its forward edge in a transverse hollow header I4 adapted to engage the upper edge of the header l3 and to be clamped thereto by suitable manually operable mechanism located principally within the header l4 and actuated by means of a handle (not shown) accessible to the front seat passenger at a point 'abovejthe windshield. When the header -l t'o f the foldable top is forced down into engagement with the upper edge of the windshield" l3 *it-is preferably located in position by means of upright locating pins or studs on the header [3. The clamping mechanism for Securing the header [4 of the foldable top to the windshield header l3 preferably includes slidable wedge elements engageable with the locating pins or studs on the header l3, and although the clamping mech anism may take any suitable form it is preferably constructed in accordance with United States Letters Patent No. 2,411,945, issued December 3, 1946.

The collapsible or foldable top B includes a front bow [5, an intermediate'o'r middle bow l6, and a rear bow 5! over which the fabric lb of the top is stretched. The Opposite-side edges or this fabric are attached to the foldable side rails forming a part of the top assembly and hereinafter more fully described. The front edge portion of the fabric l8 covers and is secured to th header I l and the rear edge thereof is attached to the body around the upper rear edge of the compartment i2. Slidably mounted within the door it in the usual manner is a glass panel 19. Mounted within the body immediately in rear of the slidable panel #9 is a glass quarter panel which is preferably mounted so as to move upwardly or downwardly into a well within the body.

Since the construction of the foldable top with reference to the side rails and operating linkage for the bows Hi, It and I1 is the same at each side of the body, it will sufiice to illustrate and describe the structure at one side of the body only. The foldable top is provided at each side with a sectional side rail extending from the header M to the rear of the body at a point adjacent the front upper edge of the compartment l2. This sectional side rail comprises a front rail section 2|, an intermediate or middle rail section 22, and a rear rail section 23.

The rail sections 2! and 22 are arranged end to end in abutting relation when the top is open and are hinged together at 24 so that the front rail section 2! may fold back over the intermediate section 22 when the top is collapsed, as shown in Fig. 3. The rail section 22 is pivoted adjacent its rear end at 25 to a downwardly projecting offset portion 23a of the rear rail section 23. Rearwardly of the pivot 25 the rail section 22 has a lever or arm extension 22a which overlaps and crosses the upper part of the rear rail section 23, and the latter in turn is provided above the pivot 25 with a forwardly extending lever extension 2317 which terminates in an upwardly offsetarrn portion 230 terminating at a point substantially above the intermediate rail section 22 when the top is in its open position.

The arm or lever extension 231), 230 of the rear rail section 23 is connected to the front rail section 21 through the medium of a sectional link or bar 27. Although the link or bar connection 21 between the front and rear rail sections may be in one piece, I prefer to form the same into relatively endwise adjustable link members 21a and 21b which have their adjacent ends overlapped and adjustably connected together by means of a bolt and slot connection 28. The transverse bolt, forming part of this connection, is secured to one of the link members and is slidable within a lon itudinal slot in the other link member, being rigidly clamped in adjusted and rear rail sections 2.1 and 23 is extensible in characterso asnot only to compensate tor variations in production but also to enable the header H in the final open position of the top to assume the desired position with respect to the windshield header I 3. The member 2'") of the extensible link connection 21 is pivoted at its rear end at 26 to the upper end of the offset arm portion 230 of the rear rail section. The forward end of the member 21a of this link connection is pivoted at 29 to a bracket member 29a rigidly secured to the front rail section 2| at a point somewhat forwardly of the hinge 24. The bracket 29a is generally angular in construction so as :to dispose the pivot 29 at a point somewhat above the rail section 2|.

.Pivoted at 30 at a suitable point intermediate the ends of the extensible link 21 is a relatively short link 3! which extends forwardly and has an upwardly offset portion 31a rigidly secured to an end of the front bow l5. Pivoted at 32 to the link 3] at a point near th forward end thereof is an elbow link 33 which extends forwardly and is pivoted at 34 to the rail section 2! at an intermediate point thereof.

The intermediate bow Hi is secured at opposite ends to the rear side rail sections 23, each point of connection being preferably somewhat to the rear of the pivot 25 between each associated pair of intermediate and rear rail sections. The rearwardly extending arm or lever extenson 22a of each intermediate rail section 22 is pivoted at its rear end at 35 to the upper end of a link or bar 36. In'the normal open position of the top this link 36 extends downwardly and rearwardly alongside the rear rail section 23 and is pivoted at its rear end at 31 to a bracket 38 rigidly secured to a cross frame member 39 of the body. The pivotal connection between the link 36 and the bracket 38 is preferably adjustable so as to permit accurate installation of the top. This adjustable connection in the present instance comprises a bolt, forming the pivot .31, s-lidable within a vertical slot 451 in the bracket 38, the bolt being held in fixed adjusted position by means of lock nuts. Rigidly secured to the rail section 23 and forming a part thereof is a member 42 which extends downwardly and is pivoted at 43 to the bracket 38. By virtue of this construction it will be apparent that the rear rail section "'23 will swing between the open and closed positions of the top about the pivot .43.

The foldable top in the present embodiment is operated through the medium of power actuated mechanism which may be either of the hydraulic or pneumatic type, and this mechanism is connected to the rear rail section :23 and to a fixed portion of the body in order to fold the top into the compartment l2, as shown in Fig. 3, or unfold and extend it to the open position shown in Fig. 1. The bracket member 42, which is rigidly secured to the rear rail section 23, is provided with an integral projecting ear 4| to which is pivoted at 44 the upper end of a link 45. This link near its lower end is pivoted at 46 to a relatively long link 41 which in turn is pivoted at its rear end at 48 to a bracket 49 bolted at 50 to the deck 51 of the compartment l2. The links 45 and 41 provide a pair of pivotally connected toggle links which articulate endwise and have their joint a the pivot 46. The link .45 is the chief operating link for the top assembly and operates the assembly throu h its connection at 44 with the rear rail section 2.3.- Iivotailly connected at 52 to the link 41 rearwardly of the to e j nt 45. is a *clevis i3 which is secured to a piston rod .54-

This piston rod is attached at its lower end to a. piston 55 which is adapted to reciprocate within a cylinder 56. The lower end of the cylinder is pivotally connected at 51 to a bracket 58 bolted to a fixed part of the vehicle body. Accordingly, the cylinder 56 and piston rod 54 may swing as the top mechanism is operated in order to permit the toggle links 45, 41 to move into their proper positions and thus move the various elements of the top into their proper places both in the folded and unfolded positions of the top assembly.

The piston 55 and cylinder 56 may be of any suitable construction, either of the hydraulic or pneumatic type. In the present instance a hydraulic medium is utilized and fluid under pressure may be introduced at 59 to move the piston 55 upwardly within the cylinder for opening. the top, and may be introduced at 60 to move the piston in the opposite direction for folding the top into the body.

In the foregoing description of the top assembly details of construction of the sectional side rails and associated parts have been omitted since they form no part of the present invention. Such construction in its preferred form is more fully shown and described in application Serial No. 714,779, filed December '7, 1946.

The hydraulic mechanism is controlled in con ventional manner through a push button on the instrument panel. When the piston 55 and piston rod 54 are shifted outwardly the toggle link 41 is swung upwardly, thus shifting link 45 upwardly and in an endwise manner from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 1. Link 45 transmits a force directly to the rear rail section 23. Unfolding motion of the middle rail section 22 is controlled by the rear rail section and link 36 acting through arm extension 22a. The front rail section is unfolded and shifted positively to its full open position by the arm extension 23b, 230 of the rear rail section acting through link 21, the force exerted by the rear rail section being thus transmitted directly to the front rail section. This action as well as the proper positioning of the front bow I5 is assisted by the links 3| and 33. The reverse operation to the foregoing occurs when the hydraulic mechanism is actuated to fold the top assembly and shift it from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the collapsed position shown in Fig. 3.

I claim:

1. A foldable top for a vehicle body, comprising a front side rail section, an intermediate side rail section hinged thereto, a rear side rail section hinged to the intermediate section and also to the body, power actuated mechanism connected to the rear rail section for swinging the same, link means directly connecting the forward end of the rear rail section with an intermediate portion of the front rail section, a front bow, and a pair of angularly related links pivotally connected together at a point above the rail sections, one link being pivoted at its front end to the front rail section and the other link being pivoted at its rear end to said link means, one of said links being connected to said how adjacent the pivotal connection between said links. 1

2. A foldable top for a vehicle body, comprising a front side rail section, an intermediate side rail section hinged thereto, a rear side rail section hinged to the intermediatesection and also to the body, power actuated mechanism connected to the rear rail section for swlngingthe same, said rear rail section havingan extenslon be- 1 yond and above the hinge connection between the rear and intermediate rai1 sections, link means directly connecting the end of said extension with the front rail section, said intermediate rail section having a rearward extension beyond said hinge connection, and link means connecting the end of said last named extension with the body adjacent the rear end of the rear rail section.

3. A foldable top for a vehicle body, comprising a front side rail section, an intermediate side rail section hinged thereto, a rear side rail section hinged to the intermediate section and also to the body, power actuated mechanism connected to the rear rail section for swinging the same,

a longitudinally extending link connecting the forward end of the rear rail section with the front rail section intermediate the ends of the latter, said link being connected to the rear rail section at a point above the connection of the rear rail section with the front rail section, and a pair of pivotally connected links connecting said first named link with the front rail section.

4. A foldable top for a vehicle body, comprising a front side rail section, an intermediate side rail. section hinged thereto, a rear side rail section hinged to the intermediate section and also to a fixed portion of the body, power actuated mechanism connected to the rear rail section for swinging the same, a longitudinally extending link connecting the forward end of the rear rail section with the front rail section intermediate the ends of the latter, and link means connecting said link with the front rail section.

5. A foldable top for a vehicle body, comprising a front side rail section, an intermediate side rail section hinged thereto, a rear side rail section hinged to the intermediate section and also to the body, power actuated mechanism connected to the rear rail section for swinging the same, a longitudinally extending link connecting the forward end of the rear rai1 section with the front rail section intermediate the'ends of the latter, said link being connected to the rear rail section at a point above the connection of the rear rail section with the front rail section, and

link means connecting said longitudinally extending link with the front rail section.

6. A foldable top for a vehicle body, comprising a front side rail section, an intermediate side rail section hinged thereto, a rear side rail section hinged to the intermediate section and also to a fixed portion of the body, power actuated mechanism connected to the rear rail section for swinging the same, a longitudinally extending link connecting the forward end of the rear rail section with the front rail section intermediate the ends of the latter, and pivotally connected links connecting said longitudinally extending link with the front rail section.

TRYGVE VIGMOSTAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,257,187 Carr Feb. 19, 1918 1,511,570 Lewis Oct. 14, 1924 2,066,231 Salmons et al Dec. 29, 1936 2,128,849 Redfern Aug. 30, 1988 2,264,602 Westrope Dec. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number I Country Date 685,137 Germany Dec. 13, 1939 

